


9/11/2001

by rockisland1911



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M, Possible triggers for the 9/11 attacks.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 18:23:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2318969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockisland1911/pseuds/rockisland1911
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Early in the morning Roxas gets a call which changes everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	9/11/2001

**Author's Note:**

> Well here goes, my first attempt at posting a fanfic in 10 years. I apologise in advance for any caused distress and/or tears. Please be kind to me and if you didn't like it, please tell me why, all I can do with flames is just use them to make smores. Mmm, smores.

I am woken by the sound of my phone ringing on the bedside table. With bleary eyes I look at the clock. I don't even want to say how early it is, brains shouldn't even function at this time of day, at least not mine. "Hello?" Wow, I manage to keep SOME of the roughness out of my voice. "Hey Kiddo, sorry to wake you." Axel. Not that I'm sorry to hear from him, but bloody Hell, hasn't he figured out the time differences yet? It's only three hours between California and New York. "You don't sound particularly sorry. Why are you calling me at stupid-o-clock anyway? Aren't you normally hard at work by now? You know, the daily grind of a businessman and all that?" "Yeah, I just really wanted to hear your voice." Is it wrong of me to be angered by the fact I never could stay angry with this cocky, arrogant redhead? "I've just really missed you lately. I wish I were there in bed with you right now. The sheets still warm from your body heat, my arms around you, holding you to my chest. My face buried in your soft hair. You have any idea what the smell of it and your skin does to me?" "Sorry mate, but if you're looking for a phone wank it's still a bit early in the day for it, try catching me when my brain is actually functioning." I hear a soft chuckle on the line. Yeah, I remember how that chuckle feels on the back of my neck. Though not one for phone sex, I certainly appreciate a certain redhead's arms around me, not to mention a few other things. "Seriously though, you're normally swamped right now, you barely even have time during lunch for a phone call never mind actually eating. Is something wrong?" He doesn't answer my question.

 

"I wish I got back there more often to visit. I didn't come back home enough." This isn't like Axel at all. What the Hell is going on? "Axel, you're starting to scare me a little, what's going on?" I move to lean on my right elbow but being the klutz I am I slip off the pillow and land hard on the clock radio, turning it on. "OWW! Damn it!" "You alright?" "Yeah, just slipped and landed elbow first on the clock." It takes a second for me to notice what's being broadcast on the radio. A terrorist attack? In New York? Planes crashed into the Twin Towers? Hang on, Axel works there! I scramble to the living room still clutching the phone to my ear. I pick up the remote and the TV is on in a moment. "Oh my God! Axel! Oh my God! Please tell me you were late to work. Please tell me you're not in the middle of all this!" My throat is constricted. I feel like I'm going to puke. "AXEL!" There's a pregnant pause. "I'm sorry Little One, but I can't tell you that." Oh my God! Oh my God! My vision goes blurry. I feel warm wetness fall onto my thighs. I can't breathe. Christ I'm going to be sick! "My office was a few floors above the impact point. It's bad Roxas. The planes, I think they were fully fueled. The fire's too intense for just a few burning remnants and old financial reports, I think there's a pool of fuel under me. All that fuel burning hot and slow can't be good for the structural steel holding this place up. I think it'll go soon." I can't breathe. "All the stairwells are blocked or destroyed, and even if they weren't, the heat would literally cook anyone who tried getting through. I and a few others managed to get to the roof, but I don't think this building will be here for much longer." I can't believe I'm hearing this. "Axel!" It comes out as a broken sob, and no I'm not in the least bit ashamed for it.

 

"I'm sorry love. I wish I could tell you it's all going to be alright, but I can't." I cant' even speak anymore, just sob brokenly. "Hey Roxas, I'm assuming you're watching all this on TV?" "Y-Yeah." I stutter. "It's such a beautiful day here. You see the sky? It's so blue Roxas, just like your eyes. I always loved looking into them. It's almost like I'm looking at them right now." I still can't speak. If I try I really might throw up. "Hey, shhhhh, please don't cry. It's alright, I'm happy." I was able to know you all these years, to love you. Able to hear your voice one last time." I can only brokenly sob his name over and over. "Hey Roxas, can you promise me one last thing please? For me?" "W-What? I'll t-try." I barely squeak out. "No Roxas." His voice is firm, resolute. "You won't try, you WILL!" "I-I promise Axel." "Be happy for me OK? Don't be sad for too long. Give me the peace of knowing you'll find your happiness again. You're so beautiful when you smile, I can never get enough of it. I love you so much." Oh God! Please let this all be a horrible dream. Please make this all go away. "I love you too Axel." I keep saying it over and over, I can't stop myself. Oh God, I'm going to lose him, and we can't do anything about it! "Don't worry, I'll see you in the next life. Just keep your promise to me OK?" I can't take this "OK" I reply. "Love you Kiddo. "I love you too Axel." The line goes dead and I feel numb.

Minutes later I watched the north tower, Axel's tower collapse. I'm wasn't aware of the fact I was screaming. It was so loud I woke my neighbour Sora and his boyfriend Riku. Next thing I know I'm being slapped in the face to snap me out of it, then held by my neighbours and friends. We've known each-other for a long time and when they saw what was on the screen they put two and two together. When I come back to awareness my throat is raw and sore from screaming. I think I even coughed up a little blood. That's going to be sore for a while. The hours turned to days, the days to weeks, then the weeks to months. The clean-up was practically done, but they still couldn't find everyone who was missing, Axel included. I barely made it through the memorial service. But I never forgot my promise to Axel. He's right, I can't stop living and remain miserable forever. Though I never had rainbows shooting out my arse like my sometimes ditzy friend Sora, I was never a miserable, morose person. Sure I'm grumpy, but I'm British, it's a requirement to be grumpy. It was part of why Axel fell in love with me, at least that's how he put it. I still think he was some form of masochist, not that I minded THAT much. It was nice to have someone around who could withstand my sometimes foul temper. And I somehow dealt with his sometimes outrageous personality. I'll never figure out why we clicked so well, but we did. Thinking of him doesn't hurt so much anymore. I can now talk about him with others without falling into hysterics. It's been difficult, however I did promise him, and damn it all I keep my promises!

 

A few weeks after the memorial Axel's mother called me over to visit. We were always on friendly terms and got on well. She seemed to take me in as a second son, and being so far from home I rather thought of her as a second mother, so it all worked out well. When I arrived she surprised me with something the cleanup crew had found. Axel's driver's license. I'd been hearing on the news and from others about how the cleanup operation could only find things such as that when they couldn't find the actual body. Though it had seen better days it survived surprisingly well. The writing was still legible, and his photo was nice and clear. She handed it to me, said I should have it. I tried to refuse but she wouldn't have any of it. So much for not crying for a while. By the time we parted we were both tired and red-eyed, but somehow refreshed. I suppose one could call it some form of catharsis. They never found him but it was still SOMETHING of him. Though it wasn't particularly late by the time I got home I was wrecked. I'm surprised I'd even found the energy to take a shower. I dressed for bed and did something I didn't dare do until then lest I fall into madness. I pulled one of Axel's shirts out of his section of drawers in the dresser. I crawled into bed and buried my face in the shirt, deeply inhaling his scent. I fell asleep soon after that, dreaming of warm arms holding me.

**Author's Note:**

> This seemed more epic or powerful in my head. Hope I haven't written a sappy stinker. Love it? Hate it? Indifferent? Let me know.


End file.
